South Korea seeks nuclear energy ties with Indonesia

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3 hours ago

Jakarta (ANTARA) – South Korea sees potential for nuclear energy cooperation with Indonesia to meet rising electricity demand driven by artificial intelligence expansion and data center development.

Kim Chanwoo, Minister-Counselor for Economic Affairs at the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Jakarta, stated that South Korea possesses the experience and technology for nuclear energy development, including the construction of nuclear power plants (NPPs) abroad.

“We also have experience in exporting nuclear technology and building nuclear power plants overseas. Therefore, there is potential for collaboration in this field,” Kim said in Jakarta on Friday.

He made the remarks during a workshop for the ‘Indonesian Next Generation Journalist Network on Korea,’ organized by the Foreign Policy Community of Indonesia (FPCI) and the Korea Foundation.

According to the World Nuclear Association (WNA), South Korea operates 26 nuclear reactors with a total capacity of approximately 25,609 megawatts-electric (MWe), which supply about one-third of the country’s electricity needs.

The nation also has four reactors currently under construction, with a combined capacity of 5,360 MWe.

Kim noted that the rising demand for electricity, driven in part by the data centers currently being actively developed by the Indonesian government, will necessitate new energy sources.

He suggested that nuclear energy could serve as an option to strengthen national energy security, even though it is not classified as a renewable energy source.

The potential for cooperation aligns with Indonesia’s own plans for nuclear energy development.

Under its Electricity Supply Business Plan (RUPTL) for 2025–2034, the Indonesian government targets an additional power generation capacity of 69.5 gigawatts (GW), comprising 42.6 GW from new and renewable energy sources and 10.3 GW from energy storage systems.

Within the renewable energy expansion, the government has included 0.5 GW of capacity from nuclear power plants. The government also aims to finalize the site selection for a nuclear power plant by 2026, or by 2027 at the latest.

Beyond nuclear energy, South Korea also sees opportunities for collaboration with Indonesia in the development of carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology.

According to Kim, Indonesia possesses significant geological potential for CO2 storage, which has attracted interest from several Korean companies.

However, he noted that the development of such cooperation still requires technical studies and investigations before it can be translated into concrete projects.

Kim mentioned that discussions regarding CCS also took place during the 14th Indonesia-Korea Energy Forum held in Bali last week, involving government agencies and companies from both nations.

Kim stated that, as of now, there are no specific projects to announce. The South Korean Embassy will continue to foster communication with relevant ministries and companies to realize mutually beneficial cooperation opportunities.

The foundation for cooperation between Indonesia and Korea in the clean energy sector has already been established through a bilateral memorandum of understanding (MoU) on clean energy and carbon capture and storage (CCS), signed by Indonesia and South Korea on April 1, 2026, in Seoul.

Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) Bahlil Lahadalia signed the agreements with the South Korean government in the presence of President Prabowo Subianto and President Lee Jae-myung.

The clean energy MoU encompasses collaboration on the development of renewable energy, nuclear power, hydrogen, energy storage and efficiency, batteries, bioenergy, waste-to-energy, smart grids, and energy systems for independent islands.

Meanwhile, the CCS agreement covers the development of cross-border carbon capture and storage technology, the promotion and commercialization of such technology, and the facilitation of research and industrial projects.